Ski binding



Feb. 19, 1952 H. HVAM 2,586,339

SKI BINDING Original Filed June 5, 1944 `//../ALMAR HVAM IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED AS TATES PLA'IIEI'NTk YOFFICE y SKIBINDING Hjalmar Hvam, PortlandQ-O-reg. u t l 'substituted torapplication fse'rial No. "538,580, June 3, 1944. This application July'2, 1945,

YSerial No. 602,790

7 lClaims.

This'invention relates to improvements in ski bindings of the type shownand described inmy UnitedStates Patent No. 2,236,874, dated April 1,1941. A .Thepresent application'is a, substitute for my applicationSerial No. 538,580, led Junef3, 1944, for Ski Binding, now abandoned.

VOne `of .the principal objects of the invention is theprovision of abinding of this character particularly .designed .to afford a highdegree of Ysafety to the'skierfand reduce the liability. of legfractures due to fixed attachment of the skiers feet to the skis. nIt-.is also anobject ofthe present invention to provide a-=bindingofthis :character which is of simple, efficient, durable and inexpensiveconstruction, and on'e which requires a minimum amountnof .time to applyto, or remove from, the feet ofthe user. l

The'foregoing and other objects will appearas I n-'yinvention is morefully hereinafter described inthe following specification, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appendedclaims.

`Inthe drawing: Nfigure 1 is aside elevation of a fragmentary length ofski .provided with my invention as appliedto the foot .of the skier.Figure 2 is atop plan view of Figure 1 with the shoe-removedbut shown indotted lines.

v-lfigureS is an enlarged sectional side elevation taken along. the line3 3 of Figure 2.

.Figure ,.4 is Yanenlarged sectional detail view talenlalonglthe line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmentary .top .'plan view of a 'shoevpositioning means pivotally attached to aski.

.Figure 6 is an edgewise viewof Figure 5 looking infthe'directionof'thearrow therein, and showing a shoe-clamp applied'to the positioningmeans.

Figure'i is a top plan detail View of one of the shoe-clamps. 7,

fFignreS isa sectional view. along `the line 8--8 in Figre 2, throughthe clamping element and the shoefpositioning means to illustrate .thetaperededges of.. teeth in each of ,said elements toretain Vthe clampingelement within the shoe positioning means in any of its adjustedpositions and to enable it to lie at against the ski and flush with thetop surface of the main body of the shoe-positioning element. n

,. Referring now more particularly to the draw- Ing;4 Y

.Reference numeral l indicates a skiprovided with 'an 'elastic retainer2 of'any approved form (Cl. ZBO-11.35)

whose-forward vendis attached to the ski inthe conventionalgmanner.Atoefplate 3 is-secured to therski `and' its forward end is enlarged asshown and formed with zan internally threaded apertureto receive athreaded eye-boltl 4, to which is swingably attached one,` end ofanoblique platefmember 5 by means of-a ring or looped portion ytLJIheeye-bolt ylA and Vattached oblique plate 5 for-m `a swivel `unit `*bymeans l of which releasable attachment of a 'shoeto `the ski isaffordedas described fin detailahereinafter. The opposite end of theobliqueplate is formed into atoe-clip A'l shapedas shown vand adapted toreceive the toe or forward end of the soleof a shoeY under the-iniiurence/of the elastic retainer 2. Thepbliquemember .5- andy itsYtoe-clip opposes forwarddisplacement of the shoe. y

.The eye-bolt llforrnsananchorage member to whichfthe .oblique plate `.5Aand 4toe-clip -1 `are pivotally..,connected Y.for support. -By the term.connectedA .or ."connection! as .used throughoutthes`.peciiication...and .claims ,relative to. the mounting o'f, the.,shoe .toe :abutment member -or the obliquear-m member, .on the anchoragemember-is-meant a connection which maintains the partsinpermanentunitary assembly during use and .operation .of the ski binding, asdistinguished from merelyan abutting. or `contacting orotherwiseunconnected relationship between these parts. Y

. .Rearwardly of Athe -toe-.plate 3 I pivotally mount, A.asat .8.,..ashoe-positioning means. 9 disposed approximately yat the `widest-part ofthe soleof theshoe and `adapted tohold the shoe againstlateraLdisplacement The positioning means. is maderotatable-so that itwill turn `with theshoe whenthesame becomes displaced under unduerstrain or dislodged byfa fall. The positioningmeans is provided withopposing abutments i8 whicharevnotched as at Il along theiroutenedgesand .tapered outwardly as at I2 in Figure 8 to yunderlie.oppositely tapering or undercut ,teeth il 3 .formed along-.both edgesof openings ill formed inthe main body of the shoe-positioningtmeans...Each abutment-is formed with an elongatedslot I5, whose edges arechamfered downwardly .forweng'agement with the tapered heads of ,setscrews ifidriven into threaded apertures lEiAin `the.transverse portionIBB of the shoepositioning means. VBythe arrangement of the-taperingteeth,` `itispossible to adjust the abutments to ,rltshoe-soles.of anywidth and yet retain -but .a -singlethickness of steel, Thus I avoidVthe triple tlriicknessA of vconventional lpositiningmeans which archthe ski-'boot`into an uncomfortable position. The abutments l0, do notclamp the sole of the shoe, but are adjusted to touch vertically alongboth sides thereof, so that the shoe will be free to slide upwardly,forwardly, or rearwardly, when necessary. Thus in a rearward fall theheel of the shoe becomes the pivot-point about which it swings againstthe tension of the elastic retainer 2 as the toe of the shoe lifts thetoe-clip l and the oblique plate member upwardly to break the connectionbetween the toe of the shoe and the toe-clip.

In falling to either side, the toe-clip by means of the oblique member 5and its looped connection 6 with the eye-bolt may be tilted to the rightor left, as illustrated in Figurevl, or in a twisting fall may be swungin a, horizontal plane to either side to break the connection betweenthe toe of the shoe and the toe-clip.

The forward end of the sole of a conventional ski-shoe is ofsubstantially square formation, as shown, having two slightly roundedcorners as at A and B. The toe-clip 1 is purposely made of arcuate formto provide two separated points of contact for the sole of the shoe asat A and B to stabilize the same in alignment with the ski under normalconditions.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I amaware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves toothers skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a ski binding for releasably securing a shoe to a ski, a swivelunit comprising an anchorage member adapted to be secured to the ski, ashoe toe abutment member having a portion arranged to overlie and'releasably engage the toe of the shoe, and an oblique arm memberdirectly connecting the abutment member with the anchorage member, saidarm member having a swivel connection with the` anchorage member.

2. In combination with a ski, a binding for releasably securing a shoeto a ski, said binding comprising a swivel unit including an anchoragemember mounted upon the ski, a shoe toe abutment member so constructedand arranged as to be directly and swivelly connected to said anchoragemember, said abutment member having a portion arranged to overlie andreleasably engage the toe of a shoe, and retainer means mounted upon theski adapted to releasably engage the shoe for normally maintaining theshoe toe in contact with the abutment member.

3. In combination with a ski, a binding for releasably securing a shoeto the ski, said binding comprising a swivel unit including an anchoragemember mounted upon the ski, a shoe toe abutment member adapted toreleasably engage the toe of a shoe, said abutment member being directlyand swivelly connected with the anchorage member, shoe-positioning meanssecured to the ski longitudinally rearward of the abutment member andmounted for pivotal movement in a plane approximately parallel to theplane of the ski, the shoe-positioning means comprising a pair ofspaced-apart upright members for abutting opposite sides of a shoewhereby to position the shoe freely therebetween while permittinglongitudinal and vertical displacement but preventing lateraldisplacement of the shoe relative to the ski, and retainer means mountedon the ski adapted ,to releasably engage the shoe for normallymaintaining the shoe toe in 0011122433. 7.5.

the abutment member, said shoe-positioning means functioning as a pivotfor the shoe whereby during a fall the shoe toe may swing laterally outof engagement with the abutment member to release the shoe from the skiand ski binding.

4. In combination with a ski, a binding for releasably securing a shoeto the ski, said binding comprising a swivel unit including an anchoragemember mounted upon the ski, a shoe toe abutment member adapted toreleasably engage the toe of a shoe, means directly and swivellyconnecting said abutment member with the anchorage member,shoe-positioning means secured to the ski longitudinally rearward of theabutment member and mounted for pivotal movement in a planeapproximately parallel to the plane of the ski, the shoe-positioningmeans comprising a pair of spaced-apart upright members for abuttingopposite sides of a shoe whereby to position the shoe freelytherebetween while permitting longitudinal and vertical displacement butpreventing lateral displacement of the shoe relative to the ski, andretainer means mounted on the ski adapted to releasably engage the shoefor normally maintaining the shoe toe in contact with the abutmentmember, said shoe-positioning means functioning as a pivot for the shoewhereby during a fall the shoe toe may swing laterally out of engagementwith the abutment member to release the shoe from the ski and skibinding, the upright members being adjustable toward and from each otherto accommodate diierent sizes of shoes.

5. In combination with a ski, a binding fi re-y leasably securing a shoeto the ski, said binding' comprising a swivel unit including ananchorage member mounted upon the ski, a Shoe toe abutment memberadapted to releasably engage the toe of a shoe, means directly andswivelly connecting said abutment member with the anchorage member,shoe-positioning means secured to` the ski longitudinally rearward ofthe abutment member and mounted for pivotal movement in a planeapproximately parallel to the plane of the ski, the shoe-positioningmeans comprising a pair of spaced-apart upright members for abuttingopposite sides of a shoe whereby to position the shoe freelytherebetween while permitting longitudinal and vertical displacement butpreventing lateral displacement of the shoe relative to the ski, andretainer means mounted on the ski adapted to releasably engage the shoefor normally maintaining the shoe toe in contact with the abutmentmember, said shoe-positioning means functioning as a pivot for the shoewhereby during a fall the shoe toe may swing laterally out of engagementwith the abutment member t0 release the shoe from the ski and skibinding', the shoe-positioning means comprising a platel extendingtransversely of the ski and slotted adjacent its opposite ends, a pairof plates separately receivable in the slots, the slots and plateshaving complementary serrated edges whereby to permit adjustment of saidupright members toward and from each other by intertting. andinterlocking engagement of the plates within the slots.

6. In combination with a ski, a binding for releasably securing a shoeto a, ski, said binding; comprising an anchorage member mounted upon:the ski, a shoe toe abutment member arranged to be directly andpivotally connected to said'` anchorage member, said abutment memberhav-- ing a portion arranged to overlie and releasably engage the toe ofa shoe, and retainer means' mounted upon the sk adapted to releasablyengage the shoe for normally maintaining the shoe toe in Contact withthe abutment member.

7. In combination with a ski, a binding for releasably securing a shoeto a ski, said binding comprising an anchorage member mounted upon theski, a shoe toe abutment member arranged to be directly and pvotallyconnected to said anchorage member, said abutment member having aportion arranged to overlie and releasably engage the toe of a shoe,shoe-positioning means secured to the ski longitudinally rearward of theabutment member and mounted for pivotal movement in a plane parallel tothe plane of the ski, the shoe-positioning means comprising a pair ofspaced-apart upright members for abutting opposite sides of a shoewhereby to position the shoe freely therebetween while permittinglongitudinal and vertical displacement but preventing lateraldisplacement of the shoe relative to the ski, said shoe-positioningmeans functioning as a pivot for the shoe whereby during a fall the shoemay swing laterally out-of engagement with the abutment member torelease the shoe from the ski and ski binding, and retainer meansmounted upon the ski adapted to releasably engage the shoe for normallymaintaining the shoe toe in contact with the abutment member.

HJALMAR HVAM.

REFERENCES" CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,553,475 Schiess Sept. 15, 19252,144,021 Kiener Jan. 17, 1939 2,236,874 Hvam Apr. 1, 1941 2,373,128McIlVaine Apr. 10, 1945 2,381,793 Wallace Aug. 7, 1945 2,383,064 LanzAug. 21, 1945 2,468,879 Hvam Mar. 3, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 108,294 Switzerland Jan. 16, 1925 558,098 France May 16, 1923824,863 France Nov. 18, 1937

